Toy vehicle



Au@ 3, 1943- l s. @DELL 2,326,026

TOY VEHICLE v Filed May 17, 1945 Patented Aug. 3, 1943 4 roir VEHICLESidney Godell, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Arvey Corporation, Chicago,Ill., a corporation of Iilinois Application may 17, 1943, serial16,487,206

tenias. (o1. Lic- 218)` This invention relates to improvements in toys,and particularly structuraltoys formed of cardboard, paperboard and thelike sheet material.

More speciiically my invention relates to novel articulation or couplingmeans for toy trains, cars, wagons and the like vehicles, formedprincipally of cardboard, whereby the cars or units of such trains maybe securely coupled by means which permit pivotal or angularmovement ofthe units relative to each other. l l Other objects and advantages of myinvention, including details of construction and arrangement of partswill be apparent from a consider-.-

ation'of the following specification draw- Y ing, wherein:

Fig. lis a diagrammatic plan View of fa' plurality of toy railroad carscoupled together, in accordance with `my invention.

Fig. Zis a fragmentary, sectional plan view illustrating the end portionof two adjacent cars articulated by my novel. coupling means.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2. but with one of the cars incoupled angular relationship to theV other.

' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional. elevation of two toy cars incoupled relationship'.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of theend of oneforrn of`car illustrating a coupling link `engagement aperture. I

Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to that of tratingr another form of carconstruction the position of `its engagement'aperture;

Fig. 7 is a section on the; line `I-l of 4.

Fig. 5 iiius- Fig. 8 is a, plan view of my novel coupling 2link.'

l Referring to the drawing, l. illustra-tesa plurality of toy railroadcars formed of^ cardboard. in articulated engagement by means of my`nevel construction and coupling links showing the angular flexibilityofone. car with respect to another, car A simulating a streamlinedlocomotive, car B al passenger or baggage car, and car C an observationcar. It will, of course, be understood that any number of carscf anysimulated form may be coupled by providing them with suitable aperturesand coupling links hereinafter more fully described.

My coupling links comprise astrip or shank portion I0, which may or maynot be provided with the illustrated intermediate bulge, each` end ofthe strip terminating in a laterally projecting tab II, the tabspreferably merging with the shank by means of the tapered portions I2and defined from the shank thereat by means of the score lines I3.

For reception of the coupling links, the base or illustrated by the carB of Fig. 6.

door portion of a suitable yaperture adjacent one or both ends, andadjacent thecar end wall. One form of car construction, as far'as ispertinent tothe present finvention, is illustrated by the car A Vof Fig.5.

This car comprises a base 'I4 and an end wall l5 spaced from the end ofVthe floor or base Id, to provide a platform; This platform is `formedwith an. elongated slot or aperture lil, preferably as illustrated inthe outline of an isosceles trapee zoid, `the bases thereof beingparallel to the edge ofthe car floor I4, with the shorter base adjacentto the floor end. The length of the longer base of the trapezoid isslightly less than the width of a tab II, but the` length of the shorterbase isgreater than the width of the straight strip portion Ill. iThe'greatest oblique dimension of a tabfrom one end of the scoreline i3to an opposed outercorner ofthelportion I! is preferably substantiallyequal to the greatest opening of the apertures. The length of each tabII from the score line I3 tothe outermost edge is greater than thealtitude` of the trapezoidal aper,n ture, or equivalent dimension of anotherwise shaped slot, suchas for example a rectangular slot or one witharcuate ends, not illustrated, and not fully equivalent.' I

-Another form of toy car construction is that Here the end wall I1 risesfrom the edge of the floor i3, their conjugation being defined by theline of fold I9.

The iioor I8 is provided with a suitable slot or trapezoidal aperture20, similar to aperture IS.

One side of the' slot or 'the short base of aperture 2U terminatespreferably as illustrated at thev fold lineIS and is defined Vby thelower edge of the end wall I1.

It will be understood, however, that the aperture 20 may be spacedinwardly of the fold line I9 similar to the endwise spacing of apertureI5, thesole difference between the use of the apertures I6 and 20 beingthat inthe former a tab II may be inserted either upwardly or down.-wardly, whereas in the lattera tab may be inserted only upwardly becausedownwardingress is blocked by the end wall I'I. The operative functionof the two forms is, however, substantially the same and with likeeffect, and each may be engaged by either of the two tabs II on a stripI0.

For the purpose of illustration, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show a car of type Acoupled to a car of type B, a tab II being inserted upwardly throughtheaperture 20 of car B in the only possible manner, and a tab II inserteddownwardly through the the toy car body is provided with opening of theslots or apertures.

both-the car bodies and the coupling links are of; 'cardboard or similarpaperboard, the tabs may be" though not illustrated, the tab could havebeen inserted upwardly with like function and effect.

AS previously indicated, the width of the tabs II 'are preferablyslightly greater than the widest portion of the slots or apertures I6and ZB, and the greatest oblique dimension of the tabs from theirinception atthe score lines I3 are preferably substantially equivalenttothe greatest However, since k aperture I6 of car A, but in thisinstance, al-

width than said aperture and a contiguous laterally projecting end tabportion the greatest dimension thereof being at least equal to thegreat- Y est dimension of said aperture and adapted to be extendedthrough the apertures by slight urging,

orif necessary slight deformation, orby means of or with the aid-'ofangularly inserting ya tab through a slot with one corner 'of the tabfor- II are bent on the score lines'l, either downto lie substantiallyparallelVv to the doors of two adjacent coupled cars, asbest illustratedjin Fig;

*4,with the'tabs inclined thereto. Y

After Ycoupling two cars inthe manner and the` means described,Vuncoupling l Yby relative movement, either linear or angular, isprevented byreasonof wedged frictional engagement of the parts orabutment of the lateral tab projections vagainst. the-surfaces definingthe slots `or aper- :i:

turesyor wedging of their'tapered rootsy of the tabs againstthefinclined sides defining the trapezoids, or abutment .of theprogressively greater widthof the tabsagainst the progressivelynarrowerwidth of the apertures when rtwo coupled cars are in relativetension, together with the limitation of the deiining edge of theshorterbase v ofthe apertures.y Limited'angular movement of onev carwithrespect Vto another, while in coupled engagement is however permitted,v`as partially l* illustrated in Fig. 3,'by reason of the fact lthat thecoupling strip portion I 6 at-its conjugation with a tab H isappreciably narrower than the shorter base of the apertures l5 and 2li,and thus permits pivotal movement even when two cars are in ten- Vsionabout'one of the lateral projections of a tab l I or its adjacentinclined root l2, although angularwithdrawal of a tab Vfrom an apertureVin suchv position is likewise limited byreason of the relatively greaterwidth of the tab with respect to the if' aperture.V u v It will thus beevidentthatmy foregoing described and illustrated invention providesaneiii- Y'cient and eifectivevflexible coupling means for describedcomprising a vehicle base formed with y.

an aperture adjacent an end thereof and a coupling link adapted to beengaged thereby, said coupling link comprising a shank portion of lesserforcibly urged therethrough. 2. Coupling means for toy Vehicles of theolas described comprising a vehicle base formed with an elongatedapertureextending parallel to and adjacent an end thereof and a couplinglink havlaterally projecting portions, said tab being of greater widththan said aperture and being adaptedto be inserted therethrough bypartial distortion. l 3. Means for coupling two adjacent ends of toyvehicles of the class described, each of said vehi'cles comprisingabottom formed with an elonwardly when a tab is inserted downwardly, orupwardly when a tab is inserted upwardly; 'so as to Y permit theintermediatecoupling stripportion iti gated vaperture extending parallelto and adjacent an end thereof and a coupling link comprising twoopposed end tabs of greater width than said apertures and with agreatest dimension substantially equal to the greatest dimension of theapertures and adapted to be forcibly inserted therethrough into lockingengagement, lsaid tabs being connected through a strip having portionscontiguous with said tabs of lesser width than said apertures, anddefined from the tabs by surface score lines. -1

4. Means for ilexibly coupling the ends of two adjacent paperboardtrains and the like toy vehicles, each of said vehicles comprising abottom formed with a trapezoidal aperture extending parallel to andadjacent an end thereof.. the inclined sides defining saidk trapezoidconverging toward said end, and a coupling link comprising two opposedend tabs of at least equivalent width to the largest width of saidapertures and adapted to be urged therethrough, said tabs beingconnected through a strip having portions contiguous with said tabs oflesser width than the shorter base of said apertures.

5. Means for exibly coupling the ends of two adjacent paperboard trainsand the like toy Vehicles, each of said vehicles comprising a bottomformed with a trapezoidal aperture extending parallelto and adjacent anend thereof, the inclined sides defining said trapezoidconverging'toward said end, and a coupling link comprising two opposed 1end tabs adapted to be inserted therethrough and'of slightly greaterwidth than the largest width of said apertures and having tapered rootportions! converging toward a connecting Vstrip having portionscontiguous with said' tabV roots of lesser width than Vthe shorter baseor said apertures and defined from the root of the tabs by surface scorelines and foldable thereat to permit said connecting strip to liesubstantially parallel to said vehicle bottoms with said tabs inclinedthereto. f

SIDNEY GODELL.

